Smoking pipe



INVENTOR J. LANG SMOKING PIPE Filed Feb. 15 1940 July 15, 19 41.

WITNESSES Patented July 15, 1941 ,T UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE SMOKING PIPE John Lang, New York, N. Y. l l-pplication February 15, 1940, Serial No. 319,092 3 Claims. (01. 131-181) This invention relates to a smoking pipe and has for an object to provide an improved construction wherein means are provided for urging the'tobacco toward the fire without interfering with-the usual draft of the pipe.

Another object of the invention is to provide a smoking pipe wherein the bowl of the pipe is located atthe usual end-and means are arranged to coact with the bowl for causing the smoke to move toward the inner wall of the bowl and then out through the smoke passageway.

A furtherand more detailed object of the in- 'vention is to provide a smoking pipe with means for urging'the tobacco toward the open end of the bowl and also means for breaking up the T vention;

Fig. 3is a perspective view of the ring adapted to break up packed or compressed tobacco;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a retaining member for the structure shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the spring and the follower block shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawing by numerals, 1 indicates a mouthpiece of any desired kind, which may be removably connected with the shank 2 of the bowl 3 of the pipe. In forming the bowl 3 the inner wall 4 is made to slightly taper from the upper end downwardly to the bottom of the annular well 5. Centrally of the annular well 5 there is provided a raised portion or upwardly projecting member 6 through which the section 1 of the' smoke passageway 8 extends. By reason of this construction the smoke enters the passageway above the bottom of well 5. A follower block 9 of any suitable fireproof material, as for instance, clay or meerschaum, is positioned above the raised center member 6. This block is provided with an outwardly extending flange I0, which is slightly spaced from the wall 4 when the block is at its lowermost position as shown in Fig. 1. To continually urge block 9 toward the upper end of bowl 3 there is provided a tubular spring ll having an extension l2 fitting into the lower part of the follower block 9 and a second extension i3 fitting into a suitable recess in the bottom of the bowl 3. The block 9 is provided with an extension I4 having a cup-shaped bottom I5, which preferably has the same curve as the top of the raised center 6. When the spring H is compressed fully as shown in Fig. 1, it holds the extension 14 slightly above the raised center 6 whereby smoke may freely pass from the bowl into the passageway B.

When the tobacco i5 is loaded into the bowl, it is pressed downwardly as shown in Fig. 1 until the bowl is filled. The upper part of the tobacco presses against the tobacco-adjusting ring I! and as the tobacco is burned the spring II will force the unburned tobacco gradually upwardly so that the burning operation may continue. This burning operation takes place near the entrance 'end o-f the bowl 3 and the smoke passes downwardly. By reason of the construction described, the

smoke will gradually move toward the inner wall 4.and around the. block 9. Eventually the smoke will reach the passageway 8 and will then move through the mouthpiece I in the usual way. The ring I! may be made of clay, porcelain, meerschaum, or other fire-proof or substantially fireproof material. This ring rests on .top of the clay or other fire-proof sleeve l8, which sleeve has an annular flange IQ. A hand-actuated ring 26) fits over flange I9 and the outer part of ring IT. The hand-actuated ring 20 may be made of various materials, but preferably is made of wood. This ring is divided at 2 I, as shown in Fig. 2, and a clamping screw 22 is supplied for drawing the ends together. The screw is loosened so that the ring ll may be placed in position and also so that the ring 28, which is substantially U-shaped in cross section, may be positioned as shown in Fig. 1. After the ring has been correctly positioned screw 22 is tightened until the ring I! is firmly gripped. The flange I9 is of slightly less diameter than the ring ll so that the ring 20 will not grip the same. When the parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 1 and the pipe is in use, the smoker may grasp the ring 20 and rotate the same a complete revolution, a half revolution, or a small part of a revolution. This action causes the rotation of ring i1 against which the tobacco is pressing.

During the ordinary smoking of any pipe, the tobacco sometimes becomes packed or held together by moisture causing an interlocking of the tobacco particles. This causes an uneven smoking of the tobacco in the bowl and in the past it has been customary for smokers to use a knife or other instrument to break up the packed tobacco so that the smoking would be more uniform. In the present invention the use of a knife or other implement is not necessary as the ring ll upon being rotated for a part of a revolution, or a complete revolution, will break up the compact portions of the tobacco and allow the draft to be substantially uniform throughout.

When the pipe is in use, the smoke from the upper end of the bowl will pass downwardly and outwardly to the wall 4. The smoke after reaching the wall continues downwardly until it enters the annular well 5. If the bowl is filled as shown in Fig. 1, the smoke from the well 5 will pass upwardly over the raised center 6 and then into the smoke passageway. If the block 9 is above the upper end of the raised center 6, smoke will pass directly into the section I of the smoke passageway 8. or ashes will drop down into the bottom of the well 5 and will remain there. This structure, by reason of the elevation of section 1, results in the smoke passing only into the smoke passageway, whereby a comparatively cool smoke is secured.

It will be noted that the sleeve I8 is permanently held in place and may be secured by friction or by cement while the rings l1 and 20 are removably mounted in place. After these parts have once been assembled, as shown in Fig. 1, they are usually left in place but, if desired, they may be removed and also follower block 9 and spring I I may be removed if it is desired to thoroughly clean the bowl.

I claim:

1. A smoking pipe including a bowl having an entrance end and a smoke outlet end, a rotatable tobacco adjusting ring on said entrance end and extending inwardly from the inner wall of the bowl so as to constrict said entrance end and. stir the tobacco in said bowl, a fixed flange on the entrance end of said bowl, and a hand-actuated clamping ring into which said adjusting ring and flange project and which clamps the adjusting ring only so as to hold the adjusting ring in place and to serve as a handle to impart rotary movement to the adjusting ring.

2. A smoking pipe including a bowl having an While this is taking place, any moisture entrance end and a smoke outlet end, said entrance end having an annular recess extending from the end surface of the bowl toward the smoke outlet end, an anchoring sleeve rigidly positioned in and filling said recess, said sleeve extending beyond the end surface of the bowl where is it formed with a radially outwardly extending flange spaced from said end surface, a rotatable hand-actuated ring substantially U- shaped in cross section positioned so that said flange will project therein, said hand-actuated ring being divided at one point, a screw for drawing the divided parts together, and a flat tobacco adjusting ring positioned so that its peripheral part will fit in said hand-actuated ring and the remaining part will extend radially inwardly from the hand-actuated ring.

3. A smoking pipe including a bowl having an entrance end and a smoke outlet end, said entrance end having an annular recess extending from the end surface of the bowl toward the smoke outlet end, an anchoring sleeve rigidly positioned in and filling said recess, said sleeve extending beyond the end surface of the vbowl where it is formed with a radially outwardly extending flange spaced from said end surface, a rotatable hand-actuated ring substantially U- shaped in cross section positioned so that said flange will project therein, said hand-actuated ring being divided at one point, a screw for drawing the divided parts together, a flat tobacco adjusting ring positioned so that its peripheral part will fit in said hand-actuated ring and the remaining part will extend radiallyinwardly from the hand-actuated ring, said smoke outlet end of said bowl having a rounded centrally positioned upstanding portion having centrally thereof a smoke outlet passageway, a follower block normally near said upstandingportion and a coil spring having one end surrounding said upstanding portion and acting against said follower block for causing the follower block to move the tobacco in the bowl toward said entrance end as the tobacco at the entrance end is being burned.

JOHN LANG. 

